Car-fender.



No. 878,991. PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

Q E. I. NORMANDIN.

CAR FENDER.

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' E. F. NORMANDIN.

GAR FENDER.

APRLIOATION FILED MAR. 4. 1907.

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No. 878,991. I PATBNTED FEB. 11, 1908.

E. F. NORMANDIN GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1907.

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EDWARD F. NORMANDIN, or GRAND RAPI'Ds, MICHIGAN.

CAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed March 4. 1907. Serial No. 360.492.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. N ORMAN- DIN, a citizen of the United States,-residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car fenders especially designed for street railroad cars, and it consists in the combination of means hereinafter pointed out. Its construction is shown by the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a part of the end of such car showing one wheel and the lower front corner of the car itself, and showing my improved car fender attached. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same portion looking down from the line ac-00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of some of the parts shown in Fig. 3. 1

1 indicates part of the car body and 2 the lower front portion of the vestibule.

3 is the wheel and 4 a portion of the truck. To'this truck in any suitable manner I attach my main supporting or carrying frame, indicated by 5. This frame projects forward to a point near the front of the vestibule. The corresponding projecting frame upon the other side may be united with this so as to make a continuous bar as shown in Fig. 2. A cross-bar 7 is pivoted in this frame 5 at any suitable point, as indicated in Fig. 1 and this cross-bar 7 carries the primary tilting fender. The body of this fender may be constructed in any suitable form, but I have shown it to be composed of parallel, longitudinal bars 6 6 connected at their lower forward ends by the cross-bar or shoe 8. At its rear portion this fender is curved upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, so that a forward pull upon the rearu per end of the fender will cause the crossar or shoe 8 to descend and ride upon or in close contact with the rails 9 lying on the cross-ties 27.

12 is a bar connected by hinged connection at 10 to the rear upper end of the fender and at the front end projecting through the frame 5 by passing through the curved slot 29. Outside of the bar 5 this rod 12 is surrounded by the collar 14 with a set-screw passing throughthe same, and it is evident that, by

the use of this collar and set-screw, it can be 5 locked against longitudinal, rearward motion.

18 is a stud orgpin upon the side of the bar 5, and 11 is*a=bend or offset in the bar 12 adapted to engage with the pin 13. Evidently, when the bar 12 is drawn forward and. the offset 11 drops down upon and interlocks with the pin 13, the lower end of the fender or. shoe 8 will be drawn down upon or close to the track, and will be held there until the rod 12 is lifted from this engagement and moved backwardly or is automatically moved backwardly by the springs hereinafter described. This construction, so far described, enables me to have a fender in constant contact with the rail, while conditions make that desirable, but easily to shift the mechanism so that the fender will be carried a suitable distance above the rail. The curved form of the slot 29 insures that when this rod 12 is lifted and ut in the upper portion 29 of the slot, it wi 1 stay there and will not accidentally drop down.

28 is a stop on the rod 12 limiting its for- Ward motion.

15' is a supplemental fender hinged or pivoted at 16 in a suitable part of the supporting-bar 5. It is composed in this form of construction of several parallel fingers or bars corresponding to the fingers 6 of the primary fender. 18 is a connecting rod between this supplemental fender and the rear upper end of the primary fender to which the connecting rod is joined by sliding connection. 22 and 23 are .stops at and near the rear end of this connecting rod, and 20 and '21 are springs interposed between these stops and the bar of the fender, whereby longitudinal motion of the rod 18 in either direction is communicated to the fender through these interposed springs and thereby without shock.

Connection is made between this rod 18 and the top 17 of the supplemental fender by the open hinge 19, so that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 the rearward motion imparted to the lower ends of the fingers 15 causes their upper ends to swing forward, thereby carrying the connecting rod 18 and moving forward the upper rear end of the primary fender and depressing the shoe 8 to or near to the rail.

It is evident that by this construction the primary fender can be carried normally raised far enough above the rail so that it will not be injured by contact with it, and so that it will not pick up or carry and accumulate depending small objects which may ass between the fingers 15; whi e if these fingers strike any object which is large enough not to ass between them and heavy enough not to be easily pushed along or swept aside, these fingers 15 will swing backwardly as described, and the primary fender will be instantly lowered into operative position to receive the obstructing body and prevent it from coming in contact with the wheels. It is evident also that by supporting this entire structure upon a frame rigidly connected with the truck and not with the car body, I avoid the vibration of the body and the fenders will travel smoothly and steadily in fixed relative position to the rail. This connecting rod 18 also passes out through the front of the bar 5, through a curved slot 24 having an upper portion 24, and it is evident that when the rod 18 is lifted and placed in the upper portion 24 it will remain there and the open hinge 19 will be disconnected and the depending fingers 15 will, on occasion, swing back freely without operating at all the primary fender. This arrangement will be desirable in case of light snow on the track, and other similar conditions.

From the connecting rod 18, and at or near the hinge 19, there is an upwardly-projecting arm 25 passing through a slot 26 in the floor of the vestibule. In this way the motorman, by his foot, may operate this rod and connect or disconnect, as he desires, the supplemental fender and the connecting rod so as to make the main fender operative or stationary.

If the rod 12 were permitted to slide freely through the slot 29, the fender shoe 8 would not be limited in its upward and downward play, but by the construction shown the stop 28 limits the forward motion of the rod and thereby prevents the shoe 8 from being deressed below its predetermined, proper owest possible point. a The collar or stop 14 adjusted as shown in Fig. 1 and held there by the set-screw will prevent the shoe 8 from being raised above its illustrated position, excepting as the spring 21 will yield slightly; but if the collar or stop 14 be released, permitting the rod 12 to be further withdrawn, then the shoe and the main body of the primary fender can be raised as far as desired and held or locked in the raised position by any suitable means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to have invented, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car fender and in combination with the truck body of the car a main supporting frame, a primary fender hinged thereto, a supplemental fender and connecting means between the primary and supplemental fender and adjustable for limiting the upward and downward tilting motion of the primary fender.

2. In a car fender and in combination with the truck of a car, a main-supporting frame, a primary fender hinged thereto, a supplemental fender hinged to the supporting frame, a connection between the primary and supplemental fenders, and a device operable from the car for detaching the connection between the primary and supplemental fenders and providing means for in dependently operating the primary fender.

3. In a car fender, the combination with a main supporting frame, of a primary fender hinged thereto, a supplemental fender also hinged to the su porting frame, a connecting rod operative y connected to the primary fender and having a detachable connection with the supplemental fender, and an arm on the connecting rod and operable from the body of the car for detaching the connecting rod from the supplemental fender, and providing means for independently lowering the primary fender.

4. In a car fender, the combination with a main supporting frame, of primary and supplemental fenders hinged thereto and provided with an operative connection, and a device connected to the primary fender and having a pair of adjustable stops thereon to cooperate with the main frame for limiting the upward and downward movement of the primary fender. 5. In a car fender, the combination with a main supporting frame having a vertical slot therein provided with a lateral off-set portion, of primary and supplemental fenders pivotally mounted on the frame and provided with an operative connection between them, a bar pivotally attached to the primary fender and having a locking projection thereon for retaining the primary fender in lowered position, a portion of the said bar projecting through the slot in the frame and being adapted to engage in the laterally offset portion thereof to prevent operation of the locking projection;

6. In a car fender, the combination with a supporting frame, of primary and supplemental fenders pivoted thereon, a connecting rod attached to the primary fender and having a detachable connection with the supplemental fender, and means for retaining 'the rod in disconnected relation with the supplemental fender.

7. In a car fender, the combination with a supporting frame arranged beneath the car "body, and primary and supplemental fenders pivoted for vertical movement thereon, of a connecting bar attached to one of the fenders and having a detachable connection with the other fender, an operating arm carried by the connecting rod and operable from the car body for disconnecting the said rod and the supplemental fender and serving to actuate the primary fender, a bar attached to the primary fender, means on the bar for limiting the vertical movements of the primary fender, and the device also on the bar for locking the primary fender in lowered position.

8. In a car fender, the combination With a 5 suitable supporting frame, and primary and supplemental fenders pivoted for vertical movement thereon, of a rod having a pair of oppositely arranged springs engaging the primary fender and having an open bearing 10 to detachably receive a portion of the supplemental fender, and an operating arm operable from the body of the car for controlling the connection between said rod and the supplemental fender, and serving to raise and lower the primary fender.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Wit- EDWARD F. NORMANDIN. Witnesses:

A. O. DENIsoN, MARY S. TOOKER. 

